Well, with all the pixel-stained books coming up, maybe pixel-stained reviews are a good thing.

Seriously -- I see it as a diversity thing. An excellent book for a small audience would have trouble getting reviewed in the NYT; not enough interested readers. On the web, that small audience can find the review easily enough, and if the book is good enough, someone will write and post a brilliant review.

I'd trust amateur reviews -- for the love -- above a tired jaded professional. If a review is literate and readable, it carries its own credentials.